Web Security Scanners: The world is moving towards digitalization; from small to large, every business has a website running to showcase its services, and simultaneously, the need for Web Application Security Scanners is increasing.
In addition to providing services, they keep user data in their databases, including cookies and personal information provided during registration.
Additionally, several technologies are present outside that make a website more efficient and more accessible for a user to use. Consequently, there are more opportunities to be vulnerable.
Scanners are the second phase of ethical hacking, following reconnaissance. They aid in locating vulnerabilities in the target. Web security scanners are often used to test dynamic web applications; as a result, they are also sometimes called dynamic web application security tools (DAST).
What Is A Website Scanner?
A website scanner, also called a web vulnerability scanner, is a program that checks websites for vulnerabilities automatically. These programs look through websites, web apps, and web services to find security bugs or flaws hackers could use.
These scanners detect SQL injection, XSS, unsecured server settings, obsolete software, and other problems in online applications. Analysts and testers can use website scanner tools to find vulnerabilities and weak points in web applications.
The process can be manual or automated, depending on how the tool is made. Website scanner tools crawl through all web pages and files in a web app to look for flaws, perform an in-depth analysis, report them, and, if the scanner can, simultaneously fix them.
For cybersecurity researchers, the website scanner tools greatly facilitated the recon process.
What Is the Work Of The Web Security Scanners?
Since some vulnerabilities and loopholes are complex and some can be found by connecting multiple vulnerabilities, manual scanning is also a best practice to increase security to the next level.
The Website Scanner tool finds vulnerabilities on a website. If available, it specifies their severity level and CVE IDs and can assign a CVSS score based on the findings. This is because automated website scanner tools may be unable to find all types of vulnerabilities and loopholes.
Is it Illegal To Scan A Website For Vulnerabilities?
Yes, it is against the law to scan a website for vulnerabilities without the owner’s consent. It is necessary to obtain the website owner’s permission to monitor their infrastructure and then ethically report the results to them.
The owner’s permission is required because otherwise, you risk getting into legal trouble if the company decides to sue you for scanning and accuses you of stealing intellectual property (IP) rights.
How Do I Scan My Website For Malware?
Website scanner tools frequently include the ability to scan for malware, which may be based on anomaly-based detection or signature-based detection.
The tool will automatically report the results to the user. Website scanner tools may be used to scan your website and find any malware that may be there.
However, it depends on whether the scanner’s design blocks the issue and resolves it.
How Do We Choose The Best Web Security Scanners?
- Think about how big and complicated your web world is, what web apps you use, and any specific safety rules you must follow.
- Based on your needs, choose between dependency checkers, dynamic application security testing (DAST), static application security testing (SAST), and interactive application security testing (IAST).
- Look for a design that is easy to use and clear ways to report problems.
- Ensure the scanner gives you accurate data with few false positives and negatives.
- Check to see if the scanner can work with the security and development tools you already have.
- Check whether the scanner can be changed to work with your online system.
- Make sure the scanner can grow with your website.
- Think about how much it costs and what benefits it has.
- Look for good customer service and lots of information.
- Find out what other people have said about the scanner and how well-known it is in the hacking world.
In this write-up, we will read about the ten best web security scanners in 2024.
Here Are Our Picks For The Best Web Security Scanners in 2024 And Their Feature
- AppTrana Website Security Scan: Offers automated vulnerability scanning, continuous monitoring, and remediation guidance for web applications.
- Nessus: Provides comprehensive vulnerability scanning and assessment, with detailed reports and remediation recommendations for network and application security.
- Acunetix: Provides in-depth vulnerability scanning, including advanced detection of web applications and network security issues.
- Burp Suite: Delivers powerful web vulnerability scanning and testing tools, including automated and manual assessment features for web applications.
- AppScan: Delivers comprehensive security testing for web applications, identifying vulnerabilities and ensuring compliance with industry standards.
- ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus: Integrates vulnerability assessment and management with patching and remediation capabilities for enhanced security.
- QualysGuard: Delivers cloud-based vulnerability management and web application scanning with extensive reporting and compliance features.
- Intruder: Offers cloud-based vulnerability scanning with real-time alerts and detailed reports on security weaknesses.
- APIsec: Focuses on API security, detecting vulnerabilities, and ensuring the security of API endpoints through automated testing.
- Detectify: Performs automated web security testing, identifying vulnerabilities and security issues through continuous monitoring and regular updates.
Best Web Security Scanner Features
| Web Security Scanners | Key Features | Stand Alone Feature | Pricing | Free Trial / Demo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. AppTrana Website Security Scan | 1. Portal security professionals create bespoke rules. 2. Single view dashboard with all the information on assets 3. Continuous monitoring of tasks running on 4. Full Reports 5. Searching for SQL Injection | Real-time attack simulation. | Starts at $99/month | Yes |
| 2. Nessus | 1. Broad CVE coverage 2. Integration on other platforms using API 3. Live results and offline scans 4. Policy Compliance Checks 5. Searching for malware | Extensive network vulnerability analysis. | Starts at $3,390/year | Yes |
| 3. Acunetix | 1. Identification and Remediation of Vulnerability 2. Reporting, alerting, and analytics all in one place 3. Security Auditing 4. Taking care of vulnerabilities: 5. Reporting on compliance | Automated web vulnerability scanning. | Pricing starts at $4,500/year | Yes |
| 4. Burp Suite | 1. Ability to intercept and tweak HTTP requests 2. Mapping entire Web App using Spider 3. Fuzzing and brute forcing parameters using intruder 4. Supports custom and enhanced feature extensions. 5. Finds and verifies out-of-band vulnerabilities. | Advanced web application testing. | Pricing starts at $399/year | Yes |
| 5. AppScan | 1. Vast scanning modes 2. Highly Scalable for web apps and services 3. Centralized Management 4. Help for a Range of Environments: 5. Integration of DevSecOps | Comprehensive application security testing. | Starts around $99/month | Yes |
| 6. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus | 1. Vulnerability assessment 2. Notifying of Risks 3. Patch management 4. Security configuration management 5. Setting up security | Centralized vulnerability management. | Custom pricing available | Yes |
| 7. QualysGuard | 1. Continuous Scanning process 2. Asset discovery and inventory 3. File Integrity Monitoring 4. Web application vulnerability detection and mitigation 5. Produces comprehensive security reporting and analytics. | Continuous security and compliance monitoring. | Subscription-based, with custom pricing | Yes |
| 8. Intruder | 1. Authenticated web application scanning 2. Multiple integrations: Jira, Slack, Github, Teams, etc. 3. Tons of checks for known vulnerabilities 4. Patterns of Attack 5. Results and Analysis | Cloud-based vulnerability scanning. | Pricing starts at approximately $99/month | Yes |
| 9. APIsec | 1. A huge number of integrations are available 2. Ease of deployment and maintenance 3. Checks for compliance 4. Testing for Authentication 5. Identification of Vulnerabilities | API-specific security assessments. | Custom pricing | Yes |
| 10. Detectify | 1. Expert remediation tips to fix vulnerabilities. 2. Continuous Scanning in 3 different environments. 3. It provides a risk score and point-in-time score. 4. Integration with multiple tools 5. API scanning for security vulnerabilities. | External vulnerability detection and reporting. | Starts at $85/month | Yes |
1. AppTrana Website Security Scan
AppTrana, one of the leading web security scanners, can help protect your company from fraudsters. This website scanner, which can be operated manually or automatically through scripts, allows you to view the most recent trends and any prohibited attacks.
It offers round-the-clock security support, guards against the top 10 OWASP risks in real-time, and updates the status of protection for all cases that come within WAF attention through the portal.
Despite the scale of a distributed denial of service (DDoS) assault, AppTrana’s unique DDOS rules offer complete protection. The premium utility AppScan has four levels: Standard, Enterprise, Cloud, and Source. You can try AppTrana risk-free for 14 days before committing to a subscription.
Features
- Finds problems and strange code and reports them.
- Look for problems with the SSL/TLS setup.
- Always check the website for security holes or changes that could make it less safe.
- Makes thorough reports with information that can be used to solve problems.
- Make sure that scanning doesn’t change how the page works.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Automates web application vulnerability scans. | More customization options are needed. |
| Gives a summary of blocked attacks in a daily report. | Latency was added to the website’s response time. |
| Great support and institutive dashboard. | |
| 24×7 monitoring of the website | |
| Immediate firewall update. |
2. Nessus
Nessus Web Security Scanner is a comprehensive tool that identifies vulnerabilities in web applications, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and misconfigurations. It provides detailed reports to help prioritize and remediate security risks.
It offers a user-friendly interface and customizable scanning options, making it suitable for small and large enterprises that aim to maintain robust security across their web environments.
Regular updates ensure Nessus stays effective against emerging threats, making it a reliable choice for continuous web application security management and compliance with industry standards.
Features
- Because it has many tools, it can find many security holes.
- It checks systems against safety and security standards that have already been set.
- It checks automatically and makes reports with the best ways to fix problems listed in order of importance.
- Fits safety gear and tools used on the job.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Determines and tracks network devices and systems. | It is hard to manage and download asset information. |
| Great list of pre-defined templates and plugins. | Plugins are not customizable. |
| Regularly updates the latest CVEs. | |
| UI is user-friendly. |
3. Acunetix
Acunetix is a well-known and reliable website scanner that can detect and report security concerns such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, etc. It separates the technologies into categories, monitors all the websites’ subdomains, and flags any that are out of date as dangerous.
The final scanned report is available in PDF and HTML forms. APIs generate reports in any format. On an interactive dashboard, Acunetix shows your online assets’ targets, scans, most vulnerable targets, and vulnerabilities.
The graph shows the monthly trends for milestones, average repair times, bug counts, and more during the last year. Website scanning tools are among the best.
Features
- It helps people on the team work together to resolve issues.
- It works with CI/CD tools and problem trackers to speed up processes.
- It gives thorough reports that include levels of how bad the vulnerability is and possible fixes.
- Works with OWASP, PCI DSS, and other standards to meet them.
- You can do partial scans to save time and resources for when you want to review them later.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Completes reports with actionable insights and corrective advice. | Long response time from customer support. |
| Lots of integrations are possible. | Scans are not satisfactory and miss simple vulnerabilities. |
| Easy to install and maintain. | |
| User-friendly UI and cost-effective. |
4. Burp Suite
Burp Suite is a powerful web security scanner designed to detect and exploit vulnerabilities in web applications. It offers features like automated scanning, manual testing, and vulnerability reporting to help secure applications effectively.
It includes many tools, such as a web vulnerability scanner, proxy, intruder, and repeater, making it a comprehensive solution for automated and manual web application security testing.
Burp Suite supports integration with CI/CD pipelines, enabling continuous security testing. Its intuitive interface and extensive documentation make it accessible to security professionals of all skill levels.
Features
- Computerized tools are constantly looking for security holes.
- Automatic strikes can take advantage of security holes when weapons can be changed.
- It lets you test things by hand and ask for changes to find security holes.
- It looks at strong and random session codes or other important factors.
- Thanks to its complete API, you can connect it to other tools and apps.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Lots of features are available to test vulnerabilities. | Log separation is not available for manual scans, but it is automated. |
| Easy to install and set up. | UI can be improved a bit. |
| Fewer false positives. | |
| Integration with many powerful extensions. |
5. AppScan
AppScan’s numerous modes allow you to analyze compositional, interactive, static, and dynamic programs. It can monitor a variety of security testing tools, which is beneficial for risk management and policy enforcement.
With AppScan, you can quickly and easily obtain practical solutions to reduce risks. It doesn’t need to leave the present deployment environment to perform security analysis and provide remediation recommendations.
Early integration of AppScan’s source mode in the SDLC can prevent costly vulnerabilities. AppScan makes PCI DSS, HIPAA, OWASP Top 10, SANS 25, and other standards easy to satisfy.
Features
- Look for holes in web apps that are already running.
- Check the source code for any possible security holes.
- Tests the program while it’s running in real-time.
- Has a lot of security holes, such as those for SQL attacks, XSS, and more.
- It is easy to test because it works with CI/CD processes and development tools.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Based on IBM’s security expertise, providing strong user support and resources. | Only 1000 scans are allowed with the license, then need to be deleted manually. |
| Highly secure and capable tool. | Support is too bad. |
| Better visualization of reports. | |
| Customizable testing policies |
6. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus
ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus includes a robust web security scanner that identifies and assesses vulnerabilities in web applications, helping to prevent potential exploits.
The scanner performs deep scans, detecting issues like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other web application vulnerabilities to ensure comprehensive security.
It provides detailed reports with actionable insights, allowing organizations to prioritize and remediate web security risks effectively.
Features
- Check to see if security rules and government rules are being followed.
- It finds and keeps track of gadgets and apps connected to different networks.
- Reports and gives thorough advice that helps people make wise choices.
- It closes security holes independently or by setting up jobs to run at certain times.
- It works well with other ManageEngine products and tools from other sources.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive vulnerability scanning | Complexity for large environments |
| Multi-platform support | Dependency on the ManageEngine ecosystem |
| Centralized management | |
| Patch management integration |
7. QualysGuard
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Qualys makes it simple to report and investigate web application security problems. This program performs network analysis (passive scanning) and acts as a cloud agent. It can now connect to services like Splunk and Azure and will soon be able to connect to programs like Jenkins.
QualysGuard has established a deep scanning mechanism for complete application perimeter scanning. This behavioral analysis-based website scanner makes detecting infestations, malware, and zero-day threats easier.
Users may rapidly react to scan results, compromised pages, and malware infection trends on an all-in-one dashboard. Qualys’ dynamic reporting gives you a broad and in-depth view of your web app’s security.
Features
- Look for holes in networks, systems, and apps.
- Finds and keeps track of area IT assets automatically.
- Makes sure that tools are in line with PCI DSS and HIPAA.
- Test for new weaknesses or changes in the surroundings all the time.
- Apps and cloud technology are added to manage compliance and risk.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Enhances cloud infrastructure and application vulnerability and compliance management. | Abysmal documentation. |
| Qualys constantly updates its features. | Inadequate technical support. |
| You can schedule future scans. | |
| Cloud-based tools are thus accessible from anywhere. |
8. Intruder
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“Intruder,” a web security scanning tool, may detect vulnerabilities in websites and apps. Automated scanning of online apps and APIs can identify a wide range of security vulnerabilities.
Intruders simulate attacks during security audits and penetration tests to uncover SQL injection, broken authentication, sensitive data leakage, and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. Like other internet security scanners, Intruders help organizations detect and patch security gaps before criminals do.
It offers reports and insights to aid developers and security experts in prioritizing and fixing vulnerabilities. Remember that automated scanners like Intruder can find common security concerns but can’t discover every vulnerability.
Features
- Users can make and change payloads that are used to test for flaws.
- Runs automated attacks with parameters that can be changed to do full testing of vulnerabilities.
- Changing and repeating payloads based on responses makes complex attack situations possible.
- Supports brute force attacks and fuzzing to find holes in the system.
- Offers an in-depth examination of server replies to find possible security holes.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Allows customized vulnerability testing payloads. | The license renewal process takes a long time. |
| Real-time scans of the latest signatures. | The initial setup cost is expensive. |
| Good alert management system. | |
| Super-fast support and resolutions. |
9. APIsec
APIsec Web Security Scanner identifies vulnerabilities in APIs by conducting comprehensive security assessments. It ensures that potential threats are detected early and mitigates risks before they can be exploited by attackers.
The scanner automates penetration testing for APIs, allowing organizations to continuously monitor and improve their security posture without manual intervention, reducing the likelihood of breaches.
With real-time alerts and detailed reports, APIsec Web Security Scanner helps teams prioritize and address critical vulnerabilities quickly, ensuring APIs remain secure as they evolve and scale.
Features
- Does thorough scans for API vulnerabilities.
- Checks API data for risks, strange behavior, and unauthorized access.
- Strong authorization and security methods are used to control API access.
- Always make sure that API info can’t be changed.
- It makes sure that APIs meet business standards like OAuth and OpenID Connect.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Scalable solutions for API architectures and technologies | The customization of the product is not up to mark. |
| Continuous and automated DevSecOps support. | Less detailed documentation. |
| Complete coverage on reports. | |
| Efficient ticketing system for issues. |
10. Detectify
Detectify is among the finest web security scanners since it employs a fully automated external attack surface management approach to map the attack surface and identify any serious vulnerabilities. Whenever this application detects a security hole, it immediately notify the user.
Before collecting data, it is necessary to define scan profiles and parameters, initialize assets, and start the scan. Detectify can scan development, staging, and production environments.
Detectify’s scanner immediately updates to reflect any newly discovered vulnerabilities by researchers around the globe. The addition of an API interface to the build system allows you to initiate and plan scans without leaving the system.
Features
- Makes detailed reports that list problems in order of how important they are and explains how to fix them.
- It finds and keeps track of all kinds of internet assets.
- How to fix problems and some tips.
- It helps find holes in API protection.
- People can share the source code for an app to look for security holes.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Detects web application malware and suspicious activity. | Documentation is not well-maintained. |
| Integration of notifications. | UI is confusing and needs to be improved. |
| Detailed remediations for the findings. | |
| Beginner-friendly insightful reports. |